


The runaway and the witch

by multifandomgeek



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: F/F, Fantasy, Fluff, Lesbian AU, Magic, Magic AU, is it weird? maybe but I like it, what even is this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-06
Updated: 2019-09-06
Packaged: 2020-10-10 22:30:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20535659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/multifandomgeek/pseuds/multifandomgeek
Summary: "Are you a witch?" asked Vanessa, breathless from all the running and in no position to choose her helpers, really. But the words were out before she could do anything about that big mouth of hers."Are you looking for a magic spell?" said the woman, unfazed."Hm, no. Not really," responded Vanessa, trying to think if she should start running again. Should she be afraid?"What are you looking for, then?""A safe place to hide," said Vanessa. Fuck it, she wasn't scared of this woman, witch or not she looked safer than the alternative.





	The runaway and the witch

**Author's Note:**

> ok, so, I wrote this on a whim and it's really outside of what I normally do but hey, I liked it. I might even add some smut later, who knows. 
> 
> Thank you Holtzmann for betaing and for always being there to cheer me up <3 ily

The night was not very dark, the moon round and big in the sky, lighting up everything around the dirt road, including the ground covered in leaves from the forest beyond, where Vanessa was dodging trees and trying to find somewhere to hide as she ran. Her steps were loud, perhaps too loud, but her hopes of going undetected were long gone.

The men going after her were relentless, but she wasn't giving up yet. They couldn't cross the entire forest on horse, and that gave her enough hope to keep running. Vanessa cursed the moon, knowing that a dark night would have made it easier for her. However, her hate was short-lived as the cold moonlight brought into view a tower of rising smoke. A village, perhaps, or even just a house. She was saved.

Vanessa kept running, reaching a house in the middle of the woods before she could make it the road to get to the village. It was good enough for her, maybe even better, the small cottage so well hidden in the woods that it might go unnoticed by her pursuers.

Vanessa didn't have time to knock on the door, it opened before she even reached the steps in front of it. A tall blonde woman holding a lantern came into view as if she had been waiting for Vanessa, the light from the flame trembling over her pale skin, illuminating her serious, intimidating expression. She was dressed in a long black dress, and Vanessa felt the hope inside her become dread as she realized what such a woman living in the middle of a forest must mean.

"Are you a witch?" asked Vanessa, breathless from all the running and in no position to choose her helpers, really. But the words were out before she could do anything about that big mouth of hers.

"Are you looking for a magic spell?" said the woman, unfazed.

"Hm, no. Not really," responded Vanessa, trying to think if she should start running again. Should she be afraid?

"What are you looking for, then?"

"A safe place to hide," said Vanessa. Fuck it, she wasn't scared of this woman, witch or not she looked safer than the alternative.

The woman deliberated for a moment, during which Vanessa nervously looked beside herself, trying to see or hear any signal from the men coming for her. There were many sounds coming from the trees all around her, and she didn't know how to interpret them. She needed to start running again if this lady wouldn't be of any help.

"Come in," said the woman, snapping Vanessa out of her thoughts and turning around, freeing the doorway for Vanessa to enter.

Vanessa went up the wooden steps and inside the woman's house. The only source of lighting was the lantern of her hand, but it was enough for the girl to identify a small fireplace and a few pieces of furniture that made the woman's living room. She followed her inside, and a passageway opened at her side to reveal a kitchen with a big table in the center. The woman kept walking, but Vanessa was frozen at the spot. The light only hit the kitchen for a moment, but it was enough to reveal an insurmountable amount of herbs, pots with plants and who knows what else over the table and hanging on the ceiling and walls.

"So you really are a witch," said Vanessa, swallowing. Her heart was beating so fast she could hear it.

The woman turned around to face her. "My name is Brooke," she said. "I can offer you a place to sleep, but if you prefer to leave, please feel free to do so. The men who seek you are not near, you can make it to the village." It didn't sound like a threat, more like she was tired and wasn't in the mood to deal with any bullshit.

Vanessa decided to go with her gut instead of logic. "Thank you. I'd like to stay, if that's not too imposing."

She thought she saw a small smile creep by the side of Brooke's mouth, but that could be a trick of the light. "Not at all."

\--

Vanessa slept on the attic. Brooke's cottage only had one store, and she assured Vanessa that if someone came looking for her, the attic would remain hidden. If that was because the door was small and Brooke hid the ladder after Vanessa got up or if because of magic, she didn't explain.

Nobody knocked on the door, and Vanessa woke up having slept soundly. She hadn't been able to sleep the entire night for a few days, always too preoccupied with escaping, preferring to nap during the day. She was exhausted, and having a bed, even make-shift as it was, and a roof over her head was a blessing.

The ladder was back at its position, waiting for Vanessa to go down whenever she wanted. Brooke hadn't given her any reason not to trust her but still, Vanessa was wary. A witch. Was there such a thing as a good witch? Her mother would have slapped her mouth just for asking that question. And yet, as Vanessa walked into the kitchen she couldn't convince herself that this woman, who had offered her a safe haven, no questions asked, and was now chopping down leaves with the sleeves of her dress pushed back and her hair tied up, deserved the harsh judgment Vanessa was trying to push on her.

"Good morning," said Vanessa, arms crossed in front of her body, defensive even as she found herself thinking about how beautiful Brooke looked in the morning light.

"Hello," said Brooke, looking up at her and putting her knife down. She wasn't smiling, and Vanessa thought she probably didn't do so very often. "Are you hungry? I have bread."

"Yes. Thank you." Vanessa figured out her own breakfast, feeling weird about having the blonde serving her. "Vanessa. My name's Vanessa."

Brooke nodded. Could she have already known Vanessa's name? "I'm glad you slept well, Vanessa." She went back to her chopping as Vanessa perched herself on a stool to eat.

"Hm, how- Can you- hm…" she didn't know what she wanted to ask first. Christ, this woman was enthralling. "Are the men who are after me still close?"

"Yes," said Brooke, not lifting her gaze from her work, now pushing the chopped leaves into a mortar. "I wouldn't advise you to leave yet, but you are free to go if you so desire."

"Why are you helping me?" asked Vanessa. It just made no sense.

Brooke stopped to look at her. "Because you need it. Do I have a reason not to help you?"

Vanessa realized a lot of people must assume Brooke was the bad guy, all the time. It was probably why she was so defensive. She felt bad for doing the same.

"Thank you," said Vanessa, again, for good measure. "Do you, hm, can I help you with something? Maybe sweep the floor or…?" She got up. If she was staying, at least she was going to make herself useful.

\--

Ever since her mentor died, Brooke had been alone. It had been a long, long time since she had someone in her house for more than a few hours, even if it was a friend visiting or a client demanding a big, complicated spell. It never occurred to her that it might be a pleasant experience.

Vanessa had been there for a week now. A whole entire week of Brooke waking up and knowing someone else would say good morning to her soon. Smile at her, talk to her. Not to ask for something, negotiate anything, accuse her of God knows what; just talk. She was already growing used to it.

Brooke would work on spells and potions while Vanessa cleaned. Brooke never asked her to, just let her, but the woman seemed to like having her hands busy. The men who were after her were lurking at the village's inn, counting on Vanessa not being able to hide forever. Brooke selfishly wished she would.

Vanessa never told her why she was running. She talked about her mother, about the house she used to live in, the place she used to work at as a servant, the people she used to know, the dreams she had, all sorts of things, but not why she had to hide. In fact, Vanessa talked a lot, and that should be more annoying, but in reality Brooke liked it. She was a good listener.

Brooke didn't care why Vanessa was running, nor from who. Maybe her husband hit her, maybe she was running from her wedding itself, maybe she stole something, maybe she killed somebody. Brooke couldn't think of one single possibility that would make her want to throw Vanessa out, so she didn't ask. It was none of her business. She was a young woman living in a man's world, and Brooke knew from experience that was hard enough in itself.

"What's this one for?" asked Vanessa, peeking over Brooke's shoulder as she put a mixture of herbs on a small pouch.

"Are you a witch?" said Brooke, repeating herself like she did every time Vanessa pried on her work.

"_Are you a witch?_" Vanessa mimicked her in a high pitched voice and her tongue stuck out, annoyed. It was so juvenile that Brooke stopped what she was doing to look at her, unable to hold back a burst of laughter.

Vanessa was shocked, and started laughing too. "I was starting to think you didn't have any teeth, Mami! Look who knows how to smile," she swatted playfully at Brooke's arm.

Brooke looked away, shyly. "I smile," she protested.

"Unless it's required for a spell, no, you don't," said Vanessa, staring unabashedly and making Brooke blush.

"What kind of a spell would require a smile?"

"I don't know. I'm not a witch, remember?"

Brooke started laughing again. She enjoyed watching the creases on the sides of Vanessa's eyes deepen as her smile widened.

"This one is for tiredness," Brooke explained, holding up the pouch she just finished. "When you're so bone-deep tired not even sleep can fix it, you put this in your pocket to go through the day. It doesn't last forever, but it helps."

"Nice," said Vanessa, reaching to try and snatch the pouch from Brooke's hand, but not quickly enough. "Oh, come on, I'm tired!"

"No you aren't," said Brooke, clicking her tongue, more amused than annoyed. "A woman in the village is about to have twins. This is hers."

"Yeesh. Fair." Vanessa leaned on the table, looking at Brooke's ingredients. "Teach me something?"

Brooke raised her eyebrows, but she ended up doing it. She taught Vanessa a lot of useful tricks, more about the healing properties of plants than actual magic, but she was glad to do it. Having Vanessa close during the day was good too, and soon Brooke found herself wishing for things she knew she couldn't have. But instead of only making her miserable, it also made her smile more often. She couldn't understand it.

And yet, she kept wishing them. Until one day, over two weeks after Vanessa arrived, the men left. Brooke waited three days more, almost daring to make them come back herself, but they only went farther away. She didn't start work that morning, instead, she made breakfast, cooking and cooking until Vanessa woke up.

"Whoa, are you expecting someone?" said Vanessa chirpily as she came into the kitchen that day. Brooke wanted to cry.

"It's for you," she said, finally allowing herself to stop cooking. "The men who were after you left. You are safe now."

If Brooke weren't looking down, she would have seen Vanessa's face fall. "Oh. I better wait though. I mean, they might come back."

Brooke nodded, but she just couldn't lie. "I already waited. They're far, you don't have any reason to worry. You're free."

She left the kitchen then, with the excuse of tending to her garden just so she could tame her emotions down. Why was she so sad that this woman she barely knew was leaving? She had been alone for so long and everything had been fine. It would be again, this hopelessness made no sense.

"Brooke," said Vanessa from behind her, weakly.

But before Brooke could muster up something to say, there was a loud knock on her door. The hairs on the back of her neck pricked. She had been too distracted.

"Hide," she whispered at Vanessa, power-walking her way back and through the house.

The figure at her doorstep was lean, tall and very well known to Brooke. If she was the kind of person to tell her own story, she would put this person as her arch-enemy, even though she wouldn't like to give him any more reason for self-entitlement.

"Brooke Lynn," said the warlock, a thin grin splitting his face in two.

"I'm busy," she said, closing the door in his face. His shoe prevented her to slam it all the way, however, and he pushed his way in.

"Don't be rude." He clicked his tongue, " I thought your old man taught you better."

"Say what you came to say and leave," said Brooke, stepping back as he stepped forward, keeping her head high despite the fear he could probably sense in her. She wasn't particularly afraid of him, not in any regular day, but she never had a reason to be afraid before.

Now, she only hoped that that reason was hidden like Brooke told her to do.

"What is going on with you today?" he asked predatorily. He noticed, of course he did.

"Fuck you, I said I'm busy," said Brooke, throwing a spell at him that was supposed to knock him down, but only made him step back.

"Well, I guess I'll just jump to the part where I kill you then," he said with an evil smile, charging at Brooke.

She dodged his first attack, but before she could gather enough power to hit him back, she caught a movement by the corner of her eye. The distraction was a mistake, and his next hit got her straight in the shoulder, making her fall and scream in pain. He was gathering up his last blow. This was it, this was how Brooke was going to die. How mediocre.

But not even a second later, Vanessa emerged from the kitchen with the biggest copper pan Brooke had, hitting the warlock on the back of his head with all her might.

He fell down like a sack of potatoes, Vanessa heaving over him as if waiting for him to dare and move a finger just so she could hit him again. Brooke laughed from her place on the floor, the pain soon reminding her there was no time for that. She breathed, close her eyes to feel the spell running through her veins, see if she could identify her poison so she could determine her antidote.

Goddammit.

\--

"Brooke, Brooke!"

Vanessa let the pan fall loudly and was kneeling beside Brooke before she knew it. The blonde was breathing, but it was erratic, and she looked like she was in a lot of pain.

"Tell me what to do," said Vanessa, desperate and fighting not to cry. "What can I do?"

"Nothing," said Brooke. She covered Vanessa's hand on her shoulder with her own, sounding like she was giving up. "There's no undoing this one."

"Don't you give up on me! You said there was no such thing as a bullet-proof spell. You said it." Maybe Vanessa was yelling, but she needed to do something.

"And it's true, but the bastard knew me." Brooke paused to cough, and Vanessa wanted to physically hold her together. "It's a love-bound spell. It would require someone that loved me to break it, and there's no such creature. I used to have a cat but it died not long ago, he certainly planned it. I'm sorry Vanessa, you don't have to stay, it won't be pretty."

Brooke started coughing again, and Vanessa waited for her to finish, rubbing her back soothingly. Then, as simply as she walked into her house, Vanessa leaned down and kissed her. She could tell Brooke was surprised, but then she kissed back and Vanessa's whole world was hope.

"Should I be feeling something?" asked Vanessa. She was feeling a lot of things, but nothing that seemed very magical. "I mean, something spell-related?"

Brooke was staring at her with glazed eyes. She blinked before she pushed the fabric of her dress away from her shoulder to expose the pale skin. The area where the spell had hit had the veins visible in a weird tone of purple, fading away in a circle. Vanessa placed her lips over it and kissed it, trying to conjure up everything she felt when she thought about leaving Brooke.

She pulled away, expecting to see the wound receding. Instead it was completely gone.

"What? That was fast," said Vanessa, smiling at Brooke, who was smiling back oh so tenderly.

"Love is a fast healer," said Brooke, reaching to place a lock of Vanessa's hair behind her ear. "Especially when it goes both ways."

Vanessa sighed, not giving Brooke time to search her eyes before she kissed her again. This time Brooke pulled her down, kissing Vanessa with all she got.

"Please don't leave," begged Brooke against her lips.

"I have nowhere to go," said Vanessa honestly. She was not going back to her phony of a marriage, she wasn't before and she definitely wasn't now.

Brooke smile could light up the room, but before they could kiss again, they heard a faint noise coming from the warlock, and Brooke quickly fired a spell to knock him out again.

"You're so badass. That's so hot," said Vanessa, trying to kiss Brooke again, but the blonde only gave her a peck before getting up.

"I need to get him out of here before he wakes up," she said, grabbing the man's feet and pulling him to the back door.

"Damn, I thought I killed him with the pan," said Vanessa, grabbing one foot to help her. Neither one of them took a lot of care about his head hitting edges on the way out.

"I wish," said Brooke with a chuckle, setting the man down in the grass and closing her eyes to conjure up a powerful spell that made the man disappear with a flash. Her knees buckled once she finished, and Vanessa guessed it took a lot of power to do that.

"Couldn't you have done that inside?" asked Vanessa, rushing to support Brooke by the elbows. "Why am I all sweaty if you were gonna make him poof anyway?"

"I could, but then I would have set the house on fire," said Brooke as if it was obvious, rolling her eyes as they walked back into the house.

Vanessa sat Brooke on a chair at the kitchen, in front of the uneaten feast that was her breakfast. "You know, it's a shame that you look so tired," she said, leaning over to peck Brooke's lips.

"I'm not- I'm not that tired," said Brooke, chasing Vanessa's lips.

"Yeah?" She kissed her again. God, she could do that forever. "Let's eat, Mami, then we can go back to bed."

"I'm not tired- _oh!_"


End file.
